Bladder Cancer

BLADDER CANCER

The bladder is our organ that stores urine filtered from the kidneys and allows urine to be excreted out of the body by contraction. The inner surface of the bladder is covered with a layer of cells unique to it. In about 90% of bladder cancers, these special cells multiply uncontrollably and invade intact tissues.

Usually in people over the age of 65; the most important risk factor for bladder cancer is painless bleeding in the urine. Men are about four times more likely to develop bladder cancer than women, but women with bladder cancer also have the same symptoms as men.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF BLADDER CANCER? 

The symptoms of bladder cancer are as follows;

The appearance of blood in the urine(hematuria): In bladder cancer, there is usually painless bleeding in the urine. There may be visible bleeding in the urine, as well as bleeding that can be seen under a microscope is also possible. Bleeding is not in the entire urine, but can also occur in the form of blood clots. The blood seen in the urine can be caused by many reasons other than the tumor. It should be remembered that different diseases, such as kidney stones or infections, can cause blood to appear in the urine.
Painful urination
Urinating frequently
A feeling of urgency in the urine
Disorders such as difficulty urinating due to a clot or even inability to urinate can be a symptom of bladder cancer.

In some cases, when the first symptoms of bladder cancer appear, the cancer may have already spread by metastasizing to another part of the body. The symptoms experienced in patients who have experienced metastasis may vary depending on the region where the cancer has spread. In progressive bladder tumors;

Back pain
Pain in the lower part of the abdomen
Symptoms such as loss of appetite and weight loss may be experienced.

TREATMENT OF BLADDER CANCER

Bladder cancer treatment options depend on various factors, such as the patient’s overall health status, the type of cancer, the degree of cancer, and the stage of cancer.

Surgical treatment of bladder cancer

The type of surgical treatment for bladder cancer may vary depending on the type of bladder tumor and the stage of cancer.

Kind of surgery (transurethral resection of bladder tumor transurethral resection surgery is usually so kind Marras non-invasive and so present in the mucosa of the bladder layer is used to remove tumors of the bladder wall had to lie on Nov. The TOUR can also be used to diagnose bladder cancer and determine its stages.

LAP surgery can be performed with general anesthesia, as well as in some cases it can be performed under regional anesthesia. LAP surgery is performed by entering through a natural hole at the end of the urinary tract without making any incision in the body.

During the TOUR surgery, the urologist reaches the bladder with an endoscope, which has a small “U”-shaped wire at the tip. Cancerous tissue is removed from the body by cutting with an electric current. In very small tumors, after the fragment is removed, the treatment is eliminated by burning the area of cancerous cells.

After a ROUND of surgery, a urologist may recommend chemotherapy to destroy the remaining cancer cells and prevent it from recurring, either once a week or once a week with a probe into the bladder for 6-8 weeks.

Partial or segmental cystectomy: This is the surgical removal of the tumor and part of the bladder. The place of partial cystectomy surgery in the treatment of bladder cancer is extremely limited, but it is used in the treatment of cancers with some special histologies.

Radical Cystectomy: This is a surgical method in which all and nearby tissues and organs of the bladder along with the tumor are removed. In radical cystectomy surgery, in addition to the bladder, men’s prostate and semen sacs, the entire urinary tract is removed in necessary patients. In women, all or part of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus are removed in the classical definition, but removal of the bladder with safe limits, leaving the gynecological organs in place, has also been practiced in recent years.

In both men and women, the removal of lymph in the pelvis, called pelvic lymph node dissection, is also part of the operation. Pelvic lymph node dissection is the most accurate way to determine cancer that has spread to the lymph.

In radical cystectomy surgery, which can be performed laparoscopically or robotically, the surgical procedure can be completed with smaller incisions instead of the large incision in open surgeries.

New bladder from the intestine (Neobladder reconstruction): Since the bladder of patients who have undergone radical cystectomy surgery has been removed, a new way for urine to exit the body needs to be made. Along with the methods by which a new bladder is created from a part of the intestine, there are also different urine diversion surgeries. Which method of urine diversion is suitable for the patient is decided by the urology doctor by evaluating the biological age of the patient, the stage of the disease of existing diseases and the possibility of treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy that may be required later. The final decision is made by discussing this decision in detail with the patient.

Chemotherapy treatment for bladder cancer

It is used to destroy bladder cancer cells that have spread throughout the body. Living without a bladder can sometimes negatively affect the patient’s social life. For patients who are eligible to preserve all or part of the bladder, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be used as an alternative to bladder removal.

Chemotherapy for bladder cancer can be applied in two different ways.

Systemic Chemotherapy: Systemic chemotherapy is also known as whole-body or intravenous chemotherapy. The method applied by specialists is also aimed at destroying cancerous cells by circulating intravenous chemotherapy drugs throughout the body. It is used in metastasized bladder cancers or in selected cases after radical cystectomy operations. Systemic chemotherapy can also be applied to shrink the tumor before surgery.

Intravesical Chemotherapy: Intravesical or local chemotherapy is usually performed by a urologist. In superficial bladder cancers, intravesical chemotherapy can be used as a complement to ROUND therapy in these patients, since the cancer cells do not reach deep November muscle tissues. In intravesical chemotherapy, drugs are delivered to the bladder through a catheter inserted into the urethra.

Radiation Therapy for Bladder Cancer

It can be used in combination with chemotherapy in addition to the ROUND or after the ROUND to treat bladder cancer in patients who are not suitable for surgery or do not want surgical treatment. It may be preferred to reduce complaints caused by a tumor, such as pain, bleeding, or blockage, or to treat cancers that have metastasized.

Immunotherapy in Bladder Cancer

Immunotherapy, also called biological therapy, is the use of drugs to help the immune system recognize and destroy cancer cells of the immune system. In the treatment of bladder cancer, immunotherapy is usually applied directly into the bladder. The BCG vaccine is used as the standard immunotherapy drug for bladder cancer. BCG vaccine, which is applied to the bladder with a catheter as a liquid, provides treatment by activating the immune system cells in the bladder.In recent years, studies on T cells that support the immune system and are known to have a protective effect against infection and cancer have shown positive results.